Some of you may already be familiar with oxytocin, also dubbed as the love or bonding hormone. It is produced by the hypothalamus, secreted by the pituitary gland and is often said to be boosted by human touch and positive social interactions. It plays a key role in reproduction, childbirth, recognition, sexual arousal and bonding in general.
Nearing the end of 2020, a year marked by social distancing, one can’t help but think that the world is going through a major oxytocin deficit. Or at least I did. But it turns out there is loads we can do to maintain and even increase oxytocin levels even if we can’t hang out with friends, extended family and co-workers like we used to.
Don’t worry
Although kisses, hugs and sex seem to top all the pre-2020 lists of how to boost oxytocin, you need not worry because there are plenty of other ways to increase its production while social distancing. Not surprisingly oxytocin, being a “feel good” hormone works against cortisol, the stress hormone, so you will find that many of the things that trigger cortisol production will diminish oxytocin levels and vice versa. Here are the top 5 tips I’ve found to be easiest to apply.
1. Keep socializing – off and online
If you are confined are living with people you like and trust, spend quality time together: prepare and share meals together, play, converse, etc. During confinement, many couples and families actually grow closer because they were actually doing stuff together.
But if you are living alone – or if you simply need some time off socializing with the loved ones – you can develop and maintain oxytocin levels through meaningful social online connections. It turns out that even though being physically close is best, the good feelings produced through positive virtual interactions can also move the needle. This isn’t a permission slip to spend hours scrolling down your Instagram feed – in fact, this passive form of social media consumption can bring on feelings of envy, judgment, FOMO, exclusion, etc that inhibit oxytocin production. But if you are confined or forced to social distance, definitely get online or on the phone and spend time building meaningful relationships. Research has shown that these need to be live as opposed to pre-recorded audios or text messages. The study found that “During the “Live” interaction, as compared to the Recorded conditions, greater activation was seen in brain regions involved in social cognition and reward.”
2. Bring music into your life
Most people feel good when they are listening to a song they like. It is a mood booster. One study done on heart surgery patients reported that the ones who listened to music after surgery felt more relaxed than patients who did not and also had higher oxytocin levels. Improvised singing has also been linked to increased levels of oxytocin. So take the time to create your Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer playlists so you can pick and choose the tunes you love.
3. Move
We already know that exercise leads to the production of endorphins, dopamine and adrenaline, so it’s no surprise that it also has a positive effect on our love hormone. According to this study, serum oxytocin levels in mice increased after an exercise, and this was especially true in females. Also, one researcher suggests exercise-related oxytocin release “could facilitate social bonding”, which in turn could produce more oxytocin. So when in confinement, it might be a good idea to do a zoom workout with others. I know quite a few people who have been doing this in recent months and many prefer it to doing an online workout by themselves. Either way, getting some movement practice in your day will boost your feel good hormones in general.
4. Get a dog
No, I’m not saying this because I have one. Several studies have shown that dog owners petting or playing with their dog get increased levels of oxytocin doing so. It is no wonder that animal-assisted therapy programs have gained momentum in recent years to help people cope with trauma and disease.
5. Meditate
You need to get out of “fight of flight” mode in order to increase oxytocin. And meditation is a great way of doing this. It is now widely recognized as having positive benefits on our mental and emotional health because it brings calm, increases our ability to focus, improves blood pressure, decreases stress, etc. But it not only helps you get “oxytocin-ready”, it can also boost your love chemicals if you practice love and kindness-based meditations according to this study. An increase in oxytocin has also been linked to increased levels of spirituality. So if you can’t be the ones you love, focus on them in a positive way through meditation.
